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Smart phones require smart communication strategies
- A “Bully” button for students to report incidents;
- An audio button to upload and showcase music performed or created by students and student groups;
- An ACT/PLAN button that links to important information about college admission assessments, including deadlines, schedules, sample questions, test strategies, etc.;
- Help link with numbers to assist teens in crisis;
- A “Phrase of the Week” button—this phrase could be used for teaching tolerance, anti-bullying, etc.;
- A detailed map of the campus;
- A “Video” button to allow for sample performances from our visual and performing arts students and/or demonstrations from career and technical education students;
- A service learning button that includes information about upcoming service learning opportunities, with a link to the district’s online tracking system;
- A “Scholarship” button to include resources for students and parents; and
- Buttons for individual teacher sites and parent resources.
While GCS was able to use its content management system to create a mobile version of its entire website, the district is exploring creating more streamlined apps for specific purposes, such as marketing Guilford Parent Academy events, recruiting teachers, promoting schools, and announcing weather-related cancellations.
As it explores using more targeted apps for communications, GCS hopes to gain insight from Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS), which launched its first mobile app this fall to improve parent outreach.
See also:
How to engage parents online more effectively
Created in English and Spanish, the mobile site features pared-down information of high interest to parents, including a GPS-fueled school locator, search functions, and an enrollment app that make school shopping and contacting staff easier.
The site also features content about academics, the arts, special education, athletics, calendars, bell schedules, bus stops, clubs, field trips, and school events. MPS parents can sign up for news feeds or check out blogs by the superintendent.
When communicating in a mobile environment, it’s more important to focus on content than graphics, photos, icons, color, and other design elements, according to Amy Kant, MPS web specialist.
Parents appreciate sites that load quickly and don’t eat up their data plans, according to Kant, so smart communicators edit their content carefully and resize and minimize photos, charts, graphs, and other memory hogs.
4 Responses to Smart phones require smart communication strategies
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Tomsmcdonald
October 10, 2012 at 5:01 pm
This is all fine and dandy for speeding up existing elements, but where are the deep learning, transfer and application benefits to individual advanced student learning outcomes?
We again try to find a use for technology rather than focusing in research driven pedagogy.
“Backing these new apps with sophisticated databases and other programs that make upkeep easier can go a long way in helping time-stressed school personnel manage communications more effectively and efficiently”.
What about the students and advancing their educational outcomes. This is where the priority should be.
jessica_ruby
October 11, 2012 at 4:26 am
Thanks for sharing this useful information with us. Ever since man invented technology, the use and dependency on it has been tremendous. The use of technology has been seen not only at work place but also in schools. I am sure many schools after reading this post may schools will think of using technology is a smarter sense for the success of the students.
nkcarr79
October 11, 2012 at 2:19 pm
Thank you for the feedback. Communications and parent outreach are the focus of my columns, not teaching and learning. My view? We need to focus on student learning and advancing outcomes for them, and keeping parents informed and engaged is an important part of making that happen.
alefiyabhatia
November 14, 2012 at 7:43 pm
Couldn’t agree more Nora. The huge communication gap and lack of parent involvement at schools where I taught is what led me to step out of the classroom and into the business world to create an easy solution for schools to connect with their communities and for parents to be excited and engaged, through Mobile. Do check out http://www.Crescerance.com – would love your thoughts, ideas and feedback, if you have a moment!